A second next-generation iPhone has surfaced, this time in Vietnam of all places. The Vietnamese website [ame="http://taoviet.vn/showthread.php?t=16471"]taoviet.vn[/ame] (currently staggering under the load of hits from all over the world) posted pictures and video of an iPhone that matches the prototype Gizmodo had last month, but with better finish and labeling, indicating this may be an early production model.

Unlike the "lost and found" prototype that Gizmodo highlighted, this phone was in working condition when it was obtained, though running some sort of firmware test suite called "Inferno" rather than the iPhone OS. There are other visible differences between this phone and the Gizmodo prototype, including a micro-SIM slot like the iPad's on the side of the case and the absence of the screws that marred the bottom, and a production quality label showing "16GB" on the case back where Gizmodo's prototype just said "XXGB." If the phone uses the same flash that went into the iPad, this could mean that there will be 16, 32 and 64GB models on the next-generation device. There's also an "N90" sticker on the processor - which is the designator Apple uses internally for the A4 - and the marking APL0398 on the chip, same as on the iPad's A4.

Circumstances of how it came into the hands of the Taoviet folks were not made clear. However, the tipster who notified MacRumors said that a Vietnamese businessman "bought it in the US, along with an iPad." Other sources indicate that the phone cost them $4,000 US, less than the $5,000 Gizmodo paid for its bricked prototype. Apparently Apple's vaunted security is getting so bad that it's driving prices down...